Victor Noval Carries on His Father’s Fight to End the Cuban Embargo with the Launch of the Victorino Noval Foundation

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Victor Noval, aka Victorino Noval Jr., creates the Victorino Noval Foundation in memory of his father’s fight to help reunite Cuban Americans with Cubans. The Foundation’s charter includes funding research and education to improve Cuban-American relations.

Victor Noval, aka Victorino Noval Jr.

Travel to other countries helps develop better understandings for each other, reduces social barriers and improves business and environmental relationships.

Beverly Hills, CA (PRWEB)October 14, 2010

Victor Noval announced today the launch of the Victorino Noval Foundation to provide funding for research grants and education aimed at improving Cuban-American relations.

Born and raised in Spain, Victorino Noval Sr. was just barely 18 when the country he loved was ravaged with destruction brought on by the Spanish Civil War. In desperation he fled to Cuba, as did thousands of Spaniards hoping to leave behind the poverty that plagued their homeland, the descendants of whom still call Cuba home.

Victorino Noval Sr. had an uncle already living in Cuba who owned several supermarkets and funeral homes, and he started working with him as soon as he arrived. But with the revolution under way, it was clear that Communism would inevitably take hold. Hoping to save their assets and keep the businesses they had worked so hard to create, the Noval family became strong advocates against Fidel Castro’s Communist regime. Targeted for supporting anti-Castro forces, Victorino Noval Sr. fled Cuba for the US, leaving his wife and children behind. Only with the help of the CIA was he able to reunite with his family in 1966.

A natural businessman, Noval then turned his attention to developing real estate, and created dozens of successful projects, including offices, residences, and shopping centers, primarily in California.

All the while, he dreamed of a transformed Cuba that would have normal diplomatic relations with the U.S. and that his two adopted homes, the U.S. and Cuba, would reconcile, building trust and mutual respect through confidence building measures and projects.

After he passed away earlier this year, his son Victor created the Victorino Noval Foundation to honor his father’s memory and the goals he set out to accomplish, namely lifting the Cuban embargo and improving relations between the two countries.

“As a first step to developing better relations between Cuba and America, the foundation has been fighting for the rights of Americans to travel to Cuba, a fundamental right of citizenship in this country. Americans can travel to Iran or Sudan, but are prohibited from traveling to Cuba”, stated Victor Noval. “Travel to other countries helps develop better understandings for each other, reduces social barriers and improves business and environmental relationships.”

He is not alone in his mission. Over 140 organizations, including Human Rights Watch, the US Chamber of Commerce, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the American Farm Bureau Federation, have rallied around HR 4656, a bill that would lift the travel embargo. The US House of Representatives will vote on the bill in the coming months.

Some changes are recently taking place. Under the Obama Administration, travel restrictions are loosening and the amount of money that can be sent to Cuba from Cuban American citizens is increasing.

About Victorino Noval Foundation

The Victorino Noval Foundation was created in memory of Victorino Noval Sr., who was born in Asturias, Spain, and died Los Angeles, California, May 7, 2010. Victor Noval, aka Victorino Noval Jr., runs the foundation in loving memory of his father and to carry on his father’s dreams and legacy to improve Cuban-American relations.